PRICE 
TWENTY-FIVE CENTS 



Skat 
Up To Date 



By 

R. F. FOSTER 



NEW YORK 

Dick & Fitzgerald 



SKAT UP TO DATE 



BY 

R. F. FOSTER 

AUTHOR OF ''THE GIST OF BRIDGE" 
" COMPLETE PINOCLE," Etc. 



COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY DICK & FITZGERALD 



NEW YORK 

DICK & FITZGERALD 
18 ANN STREET 






Two cepies Received 

JAN 13 1909 

1 copyniErt Entry -J 

I ^ COPY a. _ 



SKAT UP TO DATE. 



Owing to the efforts of the German and the American Skat 
Leagues, working in harmony, the game of Skat is now redueed to 
a uniform system and it is probable that there will be little or no 
further change in the principles of play or the methods of scoring. 

Skat is played with a thirty- two -card pack, the rank of the cards 
being Ace, Ten, King, Queen, Nine, Eight, Seven. The four 
Jacks are always the best trumps, no matter what the trump suit 
may be, and these four Jacks always outrank each other in the same 
order: — Clubs, Spades, Hearts, and Diamonds; Clubs being the 
best. There are several ways of determining what the trump suit 
shall be in each deal, each method making a distinctive game as it 
is called. 

The Players. 

Each player is for himself, and the object is to secure an indivi- 
dual score for the greatest number of points won. These points 
have a value previously agreed upon. In the big tournaments it 
is a fourth of a cent. 

There are only three active players in each deal, one of whom se- 
cures the privilege of playing against the two others by outbidding 
them. The successful bidder is called \h.Q player, and he names 
the game that shall be played in that hand ; and it is the value of 
that game which he wins from (or loses to) each of the others at 
the table. 

Four or five persons can belong to the table, taking turns to sit 
out for one deal, but still sharing in the fortunes of the hands that 
they do not actually play, winning from or losing to the successful 
bidder. Each deal is a game in itself, but there must be an equal 
number of rounds, so that each player at the table shall deal the 
same number of times. In tournaments, twenty rounds are played, 
which makes eighty deals with four at the table ; sixty deals with 
three only. 

Any one can deal the first hand, after which the deal passes to 
the left. The score-keeper should sit on the right of the first 
dealer, so that his deal shall mark the end of a round. 



4 SKA T. 

Dealing. 

After the pack is shuffled, it is presented to the player at the 
dealer's right hand to be cut, and at least five cards must be left in 
each packet. Ten cards are given to each active player ; three at 
a time the first round, then two cards face down for the skat, then 
four to each player, and finally three to each. No trump is turned. 

When there are four at the table, the dealer takes no cards him- 
self. When five play, the dealer gives cards to the two players on 
his left and the one on his right. 



Bidding. 

The cards dealt, the bidding begins, the object being to determine 
which player of the three who hold cards has the most valuable 
game and is willing to play it against the two others combined 
as partners. The bidding is by figures, which represent the 
minimum number of points that the bidder will undertake to win. 
As a rule, all bids start with ten, as that is the least any player can 
make on a hand ; but each higher bid must be the value of some 
possible game. The highest bidder engages himself to play a 
game which is worth at least as much as he bids. It may be worth 
a great deal more, but it is not necessary for him to bid more than 
enough to secure the privilege of playing the game he wants. 

This is the position of the players at the table, with their names : — 

Mittelhand 



Vorhand 




Hinterhand 



Dealer 



When there are only three players at the table, the deale'r is al- 
ways Hinterhand. 

Vorhand has the first privilege to name any game he pleases ; 
but he must name something. If any other player wishes to take 
this privilege from Vorhand, he must ask Vorhand how much his 
game is worth ; and if the one who asks makes a better bid, Vor- 
hand must allow him to play it. To bid a game of equal value is 
not enough ; it must be worth more, or Vorhand will retain his 
privilege. 



SKAT. 5 

Mittelhand makes the first bid, Hinterhand saying nothing until 
either Mittelhand or Vorhand passes, when he can bid to the sur- 
vivor in case he has a still better game to offer than the survivor. 

The bids are made by naming a certain figure, which is supposed 
to be a question. Mittelhand starts by saying, "Ten?" which 
means, " Is your game worth ten ? " If Vorhand has a. game that he 
is willing to play, he says, "Yes," and Mittelhand must then bid 
higher, or pass. There is no limit to the number of times that 
Mittelhand may increase his bid if Vorhand continues to say "Yes "; 
but the moment that Vorhand says " No " or passes, it means that 
\i\s game is not worth as much as is bid, or else that he does not 
care to risk playing it. It then becomes Hinterhand's turn to bid 
to Mittelhand. If Mittelhand had passed, Hinterhand bids to 
Vorhand. 

The successful bidder becomes the player for that deal, and he 
may name any game that is worth as much as he has bid or said 
"Yes" to; but he cannot name a cheaper game. If he has bid 
twenty-four, he cannot play a game which is worth twenty only ; 
but he can play one which is worth sixty or eighty, if he likes. 

The Games. 

There are three varieties of games played and two ways of de- 
termining each of them. The successful bidder can name a whole 
suit for trumps, which will include the four Jacks ; or he can name 
the Jacks as the only trumps ; or he can play with no trumps at 
all. 

He may determine the trump suit by turning up either of the 
skat cards, or he may name the suit that he finds best fitted to the 
hand dealt him, without touching the skat cards. If he turns up 
one of the skat cards and it suits him for the trump, he shows it to 
the other players at once, before touching the second skat card. If 
it does not suit him, he can put it into his hand without showing 
it and turn up the second card. This must then be the trump, 
even if it does not suit him as well as the first card. If he should 
put both cards into his hand without showing either of them, his 
opponents name the trump suit after he has discarded. 

If he names the trump suit, with or without using the skat 
cards, there will be eleven trumps in play, four of which will be 
Jacks, with three plain suits of seven cards each. If he makes 
Jacks trumps, there will be five suits ; four plain suits of seven 
cards each and one trump suit of four cards only. These four 
Jacks will still outrank each other in their order : — Clubs, Spades, 
Hearts, and Diamonds. 

When the player turns up one of the skat cards to make the 
trump, the game is called a tournee. If he does not like the first 
card and takes the second, it is called a passt-mir-nicht. When a 



6 SKA T. 

passt-mir-nicht game is lost, it costs double. When the trump 
suit is named without touching the skat cards, it is called a solo. 
"When Jacks are the only trumps, it is called a solo grand. The usual 
announcements are : Club (or Spade, &c. ) solo; or, grand. 

When the card shown in a tournee is a jack, the player ina.y msLke 
Jacks trumps, or he may choose the suit to which the Jack be- 
longs. If he prefers to have Jacks only for trumps, it is called a 
tournee grand, to distinguish it from a solo grand. When there are 
no trumps at all, the game is known as nulla. 

The Skat Cards. 

When the successful bidder uses the skat cards to make the 
trump, he takes both into his hand before playing, and he must then 
discard two cards, so as to reduce his hand to ten. In solos, the 
skat cards remain untouched until the end of the play. They then 
belong to the player. 

Cards laid away in the skat by discarding, or cards found in the 
skat at the end of a solo, count for the player. It is, therefore, to his 
advantage to discard cards of counting va-lue. Trumps found in 
the skat will sometimes alter the value of the player's game. 

GUCKSERS. 

Sometimes the player would like to try a grand, but is not quite 
strong enough, or has some unguarded cards. He can then announce 
guckser, in which he is allowed to take both the skat cards into his 
hand without showing either of them, and to lay out any two in 
their place. This is called a. guckser grand a.n6. Jacks are the only 
trumps. If a. guckser is lost, it costs the player double, like passt- 
mir-nicht. 

The Play. 

The gatne to be played having been determined, Vorhand leads 
for the first trick, no matter who is the successful bidder. Each 
player in turn must follow suit if he can ; but there is no obligation 
to head the trick. The single player gathers in his own tricks, and 
either of the partners may gather for their side. 

Game, Schneider, and Schwarz. 

The object of the game is not to win tricks, but to get home points 
in the tricks won. There are 120 of these points to be played for 
in each deal; 30 in each suit. Aces count ii, Tens 10, Kings 4, 
Queens 3, and Jacks 2 each. 

The single player must get home 61 of these points, or his game 
is lost; 60 is not enough. If he gets 91, he makes his adversaries 



SKAT. 



Schneider. If he gets every trick, he makes them schwarz. If his 
opponents get 60, they beat him. If they get 90, they make him 
Schneider. If they get every trick, they make him schwarz and the 
j/^a/ cards belong to them instead of to ihQ player. 



Unit Values. 

The value of the game that is won or lost depends upon the suit 
which is made the trump, each suit having a different value. This 
value varies again according to whether the suit is turned up or is 
played as a solo. When Jacks are the only trumps, the values again 
differ. These are called unit values and are shown in the following 
table : 



TRUMP SUIT. 


TOURNEE. 


SOLO. 


JACKS TRUMPS. 


Diamonds. . 
Hearts . . 
Spades . . 
Clubs . . . 


I 
I 


9 

ID 
II 

12 


Tournee Grand . . . 12 
Guckser Grand ... 16 
Solo Grand .... 20 
Open Grand ... 24 



In an open grand, the player lays his hand face up on the table 
before a card is led, and guarantees to win every trick. 

These unit values are always multiplied by i for the game, 2 for 
Schneider, 3 for schwarz, and I for each matadore. The product of 
this multiplication is what goes down on the score sheet as won or 
lost by the single //a^y^r. 



The Matadores. 

The matadores are the trumps held by either side in unbroken 
sequence with the Club Jack. The Club Jack is always a matadore, 
so that one side or the other must have one, and the lowest multi- 
plication must be I for the game, and i matadore; twice the unit 
value. 

If the single //^jj/<?^ has the Club Jack, either in his hand or in his 
skat, he is said to be playing "with." If he does not hold it, he is 
said to be playing "against." Suppose he holds the two black 
Jacks, but not the Jack of Hearts. He is "with two." Suppose 
the best trump he holds is the Jack of Diamonds. He is " against 
three." If the best truihp he holds is the King, he is "against 
six." If he holds four Jacks and the Ace of trumps, but not the 
Ten, he is "with five." \u grands, there cannot be more than four 
matadores, as there are only four trumps. In solos or tournees, there 
may be eleven. 



SKAT. 



Scoring. 



Suppose \}ci& game is a Club solo, and the satx^q. player holds two 
matadores and gets his 6i points in play. The unit value of a Club 
solo, according to the table, is 12. Multiply this by i for the game 
and 2 matadores, and we have 3 times 12, or 36 ; so the scorer puts 
down 36 points plus to the player's credit. Had he failed to get 
his 61 points in play, he would be put down 36 minus, as it is only 
the score of the single player, win or lose, that is entered. 

Suppose a player \xxe6. 2u guckser grand "against two." If he 
won it, he would get 48 points ; but if he lost it, it would cost him 
96, because gucksers lose double. 

Suppose the//ajj/(?r announces a Spade jcA?, having three Jacks in 
his hand, and thinks he is playing "against one," his game being 
worth 22. If he finds the Club Jack in the skat, which belongs to 
him, he is "with four" instead of "against one," and his game is 
worth 55. If a player bid as high as 30 to get the play of a Heart 
solo " against two, " and found a black Jack in the skat, his game 
would then be worth 20 only, and he had overbid, unless he made 
his opponents Schneider. 

It should be evident that the player knows from his cards what 
his game will be worth if he plays it, and he is thus able to bid for 
the privilege understandingly. If he has seven Spades, including 
both the black Jacks, and an ou^tside trick or two, he can safely bid 
as high as 33 on a Spade solo. 



Announcing Schneider and Schwarz. 

When \}cie play err succeeds in getting 91 or more points in the 
play of the cards, he adds another multiplier for Schneider. If he 
makes them schwarz, he adds two multipliers. A Heart solo, with 
two matadores, and Schneider, is worth 40. Suppose he plays a 
guckser grand "against one" and makes 98 points in the play of 
the cards, he reckons i for game, i for Schneider, "against I," 3 
times 16, or 48. If the adversaries make him Schneider, they add a 
multiplier in the same way. 

If the player announces Schneider m advance, which he can some- 
times do with very strong cards, it adds another multiplier for the 
announcement. If he makes schwarz after announcing Schneider, 
the multiplier is added. If he announces schwarz, which of course 
includes making them Schneider, he gets an additional multiplier for 
each of these announcements. This gives us five possible ^«»z^j-.' — 
For the game, i ; for Schneider, 2 ; for Schneider announced, 3 ; for 
schwarz without announcing anything, 3 ; for schwarz after an- 
nouncing Schneider, 4; for schwarz announced, 5. 

An open grand is always schwarz announced, so the game multi- 
ple must be 5, added to which must be the number of matadores. 



SKA T. 9 

If he has all four Jacks, his game is worth 9 times 24, or 216, the 
highest possible in Skat. 

If a player announpes Schneider or schwarz and fails to make it, 
he loses his game. For this reason a player should never take the 
risk for the sake of one more multiplier unless he is very sure of 
success. 

Overbidding. 

If the player has averbid his hand or game, he loses what he 
would have had to win to make his bid good, and this loss must be 
some multiple of the unit value of the game^hoX. he plays. Suppose 
he has bid up to 24 to get the play of a Heart solo ' ' against three" ; 
wins it, but finds the best Jack in the skat. Instead of being 
"against three," he is "with one," and his game is worth 20 only. 
As he bid 24, he must lose some multiple of the unit value of a Heart 
solo (which is 10), that will be as good as 24, therefore his loss is 
30; because he would have had to win 30 to make his bid good. 

Ramsch. 

Sometimes both Mittelhand and Hinterhand pass without bid- 
ding. If Vorhand does not care to risk any gajjie, he can defend 
himself against the possibility that some player has a strong hand, 
and would beat him, by declaring " Ramsch." 

In ramsch, Jacks are the only trumps, as in grand; but there is 
this great difference, that each player is for himself, and that his 
object is not to win points but to take in as few as possible. The 
player that has the most points at the end of the hand is charged 
20 minus on the score sheet. If one player takes no 'trick, ramsch 
costs 30. If one player takes all the tricks, It will cost him* 50. If 
two players are tied for the most points, each of them loses 20. In 
ramsch, the skat cards are not touched until the end, when they 
are taken by the winner of the last trick and are counted with his 
cards. 

NULLO. 

When a player has very poor cards he can bid upon a mdlo. In 
nullos there are no trumps, no matadores, and no counting values to 
the cards. The Jacks and Tens go back to their usual places in the 
pack, so that the four suits rank: — Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, 
Nine, Eight, Seven. The object in nullo is for the single /A7j^r to 
avoid taking a single trick. The moment he wins a trick, his 
game is lost. A^?^//^ is worth 20. 

If the player is so sure of success that he can let his adversaries 
see his cards, he can bid for an open nullo. This must be played 
with all the cards in the hand of the single player exposed. It is 
worth 40. 



10 SKA T. 

Sometimes ihe player holds a hand which would be a good nulla 
but for one or two dangerous cards. He can bid for o. gucksernullo, 
taking both the skat cards into his hand and then laying out any two 
he pleases. Gucksernullo is worth 15 if won ; but costs 30 if lost. 
The ^/ajj/^;- may bid for an open guckser nullajhut the announce- 
ment that it is to be- played open must be made before the skat cards 
are touched. This is worth 30 if won ; but costs 60 if lost. 



Point Rawsch. 

In the regular game, ramsch is not allowed if there has been a 
bid ; because a bid means that the bidder has a game. But in some 
places it is agreed that if there is no higher bid than 10, the one who 
gets the play can announce point ramsch. Jacks are the only 
trumps, each player is for himself and the winner of the last trick 
takes the skat cards. The object is to avoid taking in tricks with 
points in them, and at the end of the hand the player who has taken 
in the greatest number of points out of the 120 to be played for is 
charged with a loss of that number of points on the score sheet. 
The others score nothing. 



Beer Skat. 

This game is to see which player will first reach 201 if four 
play ; of 151 if three play. Whoever gets there first is the loser 
and pays for the beer. Instead of putting down the points won 
by the single player, they are charged to his opponents. Sup- 
pose the successful bidder plays a Spade solo "against two," and 
wins it. Each of the others at the table is charged 12> points. If the 
single player should lose it,* he would be charged as many times 
the value of the game as there are players at the table besides 
himself. Four at the table, the Spade solo "against two" would 
cost him 99 points. 

Laws of Skat. 

The following are the Official Rules for tournament play, revised 
to 1908, and published by the North- American Skat League : 

1. Cards must be dealt in the following order, viz.: Three- Skat- 
Four-Three. (See penalties.) 

2. Cards must be cut by the player to the right of the dealer. 

3. If all cards are dealt, the game must be played, even if the 
dealing was done out of turn ; in such case the next deal must be 
made by the one who should have dealt before, and then proceed 
as if no mis-deal had been made ; however, omitting the one who 



SKAT. II 

has dealt out of his turn, thus each player deals but once during 
one round. 

4. Bids must be made in numbers, the value of which occur in 
some possible game. 

5. Plays or bids below ten points are not permitted. 

6. In games in which the aid of the Skat is required, the player 
must discard two cards, (See penalties.) 

7. Schneider or Schwarz cannot be announced in any game in 
which the aid ot the Skat was required. 

8. The Skat must not be looked at by any participant before the 
,end of a game, except by \\\.q player when playing a game with the 
aid of the Skat. (See penalties.) 

9. In case a card is served face up, a new deal must be made. 

10. The player to be out of Schneider must have at least 31 
points, and must have at least 61 points to win his game. The 
opponents need but 90 points to Schneider th&player and 60 points 
to defeat his game. 

11. In all games that are played Onvert, the player must expose 
his cards and play openly, meaning that he lay his ten cards, face 
up, on the table for the observation of his opponents and playing 
thus from them. 

12. If any player leads wrongly (plays out of his order) or neg- 
lects to follow suit, such error shall terminate the game and the 
same is to be considered as lost for the side having made the error. 
(See penalties.) 

13. A player bidding ten or more'must play sonxQgame the value 
of which amounts to the number of points bid by him ; and in case 
he loses the game, he loses its full value. 

14. Ramsch must be played when all participants have passed 
or failed to bid. 

15. If 2, player has overbid his hand, the next higher value of 
the respective game is counted and charged against the player. 
(See penalties.) 

16. In case a player^ having overbid his hand, plays his game 
and either of the opponents commits an error, the value of such 
game is credited to the player and deducted or charged against the 
opponent who made the error. (See penalties.) 

17. Examination of tricks taken, or the counting of the points of 
such tricks (except the last trick made) shall terminate the play. 
(See penalties. ) 



12 SKA T. 

i8. Participants have the privilege to examine the last trick 
made. (This must be done, however, before the next card is played. ) 

19. All participants must keep their respective tricks in the 
order in which the cards were played, so that each trick in a game 
can be traced at the end of the game. 

20. If a player has not heard or misunderstood the bidding of 
another player, and thereupon has turned one of the cards in the 
Skat^ the other player shall not be deprived of his rights, provided 
one of the other players corroborates his statement that he had not 
passed. The dealer shall then mix the two cards in the Skat, the 
bidding shall be continued and the player bidding highest shall have 
the right of playing tournee or any other game. 

21. If 2i player, when turning, accidentally sees both cards with- 
out having announced Fasstnicht, he. shall be compelled to turn the 
top card and loses the right to play Passt nicht. 

22. If, after the termination of a game and after the cards have 
been thrown together a difference of opinion arises as to which side 
has won the game, then it shall be the privilege of the player to an- 
nounce the tricks he has made and what each of them counted. If 
he does not succeed in convincing the opponents that he really had 
won the game, the value of same shall be deducted from his score 
as lost. The player should, in his own interest, see to it that the 
cards are not thrown together before it has been determined whether 
the game was won or lost. 

23. The player has the privilege to throw his game after the first 
trick, so as to save Schneider. He loses this privilege after two 
cards of the second trick are on the table. 

24. If it occurs during a tournament that a game without mata- 
dores, entitled to a prize, is won on account of revoke or playing out 
of order by one of the opponents, a record of the game as it then 
stood shall be made and submitted to the Skat Master of the section 
for his approbation. This record shall be attached to the score 
sheet, and the Prize Committee shall then decide if the game could 
have been won without the mistake and, therefore, should be enti- 
tled to a prize. 

PENALTIES. 

ALL PENALTIES IN THE NATURE OF RULES ARE TO BE 
CONSIDERED AS RULES. 

I. A dealer misdealing shall be charged with ten points and must 
deal again.* If in the course of a game it develops that cards had 

_ * Which said points shall be deducted from his total score at the end of a ses- 



SKAT. 13 

been misdealt, i.e., that one or more players had either too many or 
not enough cards, then the //«j^r loses the game if he did not have 
the right number of cards, even if the same thing occurred with one 
of the opponents. But if the player had the right number of cards 
and one or both of the opponents had too many or not enough, then 
\)\^player wins, even if he would have lost the game otherwise. The 
dealer is not fined in this case. Each player should make sure be- 
fore beginning the game, that he has ten cards, neither more nor 
less, in his hand. 

2. In games in which the aid of the Skat is required, the player 
will be charged the full value of the g-ame if he neglects to discard 
the proper number of cards. 

3. If a dealer looks at either of the Skat cards before or during 
the progress of a game, he shall be charged ten points. * 

4. In case a participant examines either of the Skat cards (with- 
out right) before the termination of a game, such persons shall be 
charged the full value of the game announced, but the opposing 
person or persons shall have the privilege of continuing the game 
for the purpose of increasing the value thereof by making 
Schneider. 

5. If, before 2^ game is announced, it is discovered that the Skat 
cards are missing or they, or any of them, are in the possession or 
have been seen by any participant, the dealer shall draw out of 
the hand of the person having the Skat cards, or any of them, 
sufficient cards to leave said player ten cards, after which the bidding 
shall proceed as if no mistake had been made, but the player caus- 
ing this proceeding shall be fined 25 points and is forbidden to 
participate in the bidding and denied the opportunity to play any 
game during this particular deal. * 

6. A player mis-leading or neglecting to follow suit loses the 
game, but any one of the participants has the privilege to have 
such error corrected and proceed with the game to its end for the 
purpose of increasing the player's loss. If then one of the oppo- 
nents makes one of these errors the player wins his game but its 
value is also charged against the opponent making the error. 

7. If either of the opponents leads wrongly (plays out of 
order) or neglects to follow suit, such error shall terminate the 
game ; in such case the game is won by the player, and its value 
charged against the opponent who made the error, but the player 
has the privilege to have such error corrected and proceed with the 

* Which said points shall be deducted from his total score at the end of a ses- 
sion. 



14 SKA T. 

game to its end, for the purpose of increasing the value of t)iegame. 
If he then makes one of the errors mentioned himself, he loses the 
game, and the first error is fully condoned. 

8. If, in playing solo, the player has overbid his game and one 
of the opponents makes one of the errors mentioned, he wins the 
value of the game which he has bid and the same value shall be 
charged against the opponent making such error. 

9. If, during the progress of a game, the player places his re- 
maining cards upon the table and declares his game won, but is 
found to have erred, he shall have lost his game, even if he might 
have obtained all remaining tricks. 

10. If, during the progress of a game, any one of the opponents 
places his cards upon the table, declaring thereby to have defeated 
the player's game, all the remaining cards belong to the player, 
and the opponent who erred shall be charged with the full value of 
the game. 

11. If a ^/^jj/<?^ declares his game lost and places all the remain- 
ing cards upon the table, such remaining or all cards belong to the 
opponents, and XYiq player loses the full value of the game. 

12. A player who examines the tricks taken (except the last 
made trick) or counts the points thereof, loses the ^a;«<r announced, 
but any one of the participants has the privilege to insist on the 
game proceeding to its end for the purpose of increasing the player's 
loss. 

13. If either of the opponents commits the act last above men- 
tioned, the player CQXi insist on proceeding with the game for the 
purpose of increasing its value. The full value of the game in 
such case shall be charged against the person committing this act. 

14. If the player or one of the opponents claims all remaining 
tricks and exposes his cards and it then develops that the other side 
could have made another trick, then all the remaining tricks go to 
the other side. 

15. In all cases of errors, the points lost by the participants who 
erred, shall be of the same number as that which the player wins. 



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This treatise contains all the instruction necessary to make an 
expert modern Whist player. Paper covers 25 cts. 

Pole on Whist. The Theory of the Modern Scientific Game of 
Whist. By William Pole, F. R. S. This complete and exhaustive 
Treatise on the Game is in handy form for the pocket, and affords 
lucid instructions at all stages of the Game for partners to play in 
combination for their best interests 20 cts. 

American Leads at Whist. A condensed Treatise abridged from 
the well-knovni work by " Cavendish ", explaining and elucidating 
the generally accepted modern methods of American Leads as ap- 
plied to legitimate signaling between partners during the progress 
of the game. Illustrated with Diagrams. Vest pocket size. .15 cts. 

Spayth's Checker Player. An entirely new work and modern 
analysis of the sixteen standard openings with lines of defense. 
Also a game with eighty-nine variations full of Traps and Snap- 
shots. Cloth binding $2.00 



BOOKS ON- GAMES, 



Mortimer's Chess Players' Pocket-book. A complete and handy 
Manual of all the known Openings and Gambits, with a thorough 
analysis of each, its variations and defense, the more intricate of 
which are instructively carried out beyond the opening moves. 
By James Mortimer. The special feature of this work is the 
manner in which the notation is arranged in tabular form, by 
which greater perspicuity is gained for study, and so reduces the 
bulk that it can easily be carried in the pocket for ready reference. 
This book is emphatically indorsed by all the leading Chess 
Critics. Cloth, pocket size 50 cts. 

Gossip's Chess Players' Text-book. It introduces a prehmi« 
nary Game, elucidated step by step for the instruction of begin- 
ners. It gives a full and extended analysis of all the Openings 
and Gambits in general use, with illustrative Games analytically 
explained, and a number of interesting End Games and Strategic 
positions calculated to afford advanced players a more thorough 
insight into the intricacies of the game. Bound in cloth. 156 
pages , . , . , , 75 cts. 

Scattergood's Game of Draughts; or, Checkers Simplified 
and Explained. With practical Diagrams and Illustrations, 
together with a Checker-board, numbered and printed in red. 
Containing the Eighteen Standard Games, with over 200 of the 
best variations selected from various authors, with some never 
before published. By D. Scattergood. Bound in cloth, with 
flexible covers . ,...-.,.. 50 cts. 

Spayth's Game of Draughts. By Henry Spayth. This book is 
designed as a supplement to '* The American Draught Player"; 
but it is complete in itself. It contains lucid instructions for begin- 
ners, Laws of the Game, Diagrams, the score of 364 games, to- 
gether with 34 novel, instructive, and ingenious " critical posi- 
tions ". Cloth , . -. .. $1.50 

Spayth's Draughts ; or, Checkers for Beginners. This trea- 
tise was written by Henry Spayth, the celebrated player, and is 
by far the most complete and instructive elementary work on 
Draughts ever published. It is profusely illustrated with dia- 
grams of ingenious stratagems, curious positions, and perplexing 
Problems, and contains a great variety of interesting and instruct- 
ive Games, progressively arranged and clearly explained with 
notes, so that the learner may easily comprehend them. With the 
aid of this Manual a beginner may soon become a proficienf 
io the game. Cloth, gilt side . . , , • 75 cts. 




020 237 368 9 ^ 



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